Thoughts from the Heart
by ukou
Summary: (Margaret is dating Del and Mordecai is dating CJ) Margaret is living with her best friend, has a cool new job and a great boyfriend. So why are her feelings for Mordecai starting to resurface and how is she going to deal with them? Does Mordecai still feel the same way about her? How do they tackle their emotions along with the random situations/events that occur at the park?
1. Chapter 1 : Introduction

**Please note this was started before it was revealed that Margaret and Del were not really a couple. I also Intend to somehow incorporate that into the story itself. Sorry for any confusion :)**

* * *

 **Margaret's POV**

 _The air between us was buzzing with an almost electrical energy. I looked deeply into the Blue Jay's familiar eyes and felt his soft feathered wing wrap around my shoulder in a comforting manner. The sun was setting in the distance, causing the sky to be painted with a variety of deep reds, burnt oranges and fading yellows. In that exact moment, all my worries had disintegrated and my mind was finally at peace. Everything was perfect. "I love you, Mordecai." I whispered softly, and when the words tumbled out from my beak I truly meant it. He kissed me gently and I could feel him smiling as he did so. "I love you too, Mar-"_

"Margaret! The coffee's ready!" I snapped out of my deep sleep with a jolt. "What time is it even?" I checked the clock on my phone, muttering to myself. Quarter to seven in the morning. I always thought I was a morning person, but compared to Eileen I was easily the laziest creature on the planet. "Maaargaret, did you hear me? I was just letting you know that –Oh!" Eileen wandered into my messier-than-usual room and seemed genuinely surprised to see that I was still in bed.

"Eileen, look, I know you always say that 'the early bird catches the worm', and I get the pun, honestly I do, but couldn't you let me sleep in just one day of the week? Eight o'clock is actually still considered an early waking-hour for most, you know." The tan mole merely blinked at me in surprise and then burst out laughing. "In all seriousness, when was the last time I actually used that figure of speech? Besides, don't you have an interview to prepare for today? Not to mention a breakfast date with Del," Eileen raised one of her eyebrows upon mentioning Del, as she always did. Part of me regretted telling her my agenda for today, and a wave of guilt washed over me when I heard Del's name, reminding me of the dream I'd just woken up from.

"Thank you for taking all that into consideration, but I'm only meeting up with him at nine and the interview starts at half past ten. I'd still appreciate that hot cup of coffee that you woke me up for though." I ran a hand through my tousled red feather-hair and smiled charmingly at Eileen. "It's waiting downstairs, and I'm definitely not in the mood to come all the way back up here, so..." The short mole beamed deviously at me and scampered out of my room, closing the door behind her as if she was signalling that I should either get up now or have my coffee cold. I collapsed back onto my soft pillow with a sigh.

That had been the third Mordecai-related dream I'd had this week. I thought I was over him, I mean, I know I am but at the same time I just can't get him off of my mind. Mordecai was in a relationship with CJ now, and although I was immensely happy for him I still felt that bitter pang of jealousy whenever I thought about the two of them together. Or even the two of us together.

Del is a great guy. He's got an amazing personality and he is quite a pleasure to look at, with his strawberry-tinged blonde hair, dead-straight teeth and welcoming, friendly smile. We haven't been dating for very long but when I'm in his company, it feels like nobody else really matters. So why was I still dreaming about Mordecai and reminiscing about old times and moments we'd spent together, when they were long-since in the past?

I closed my eyes and sighed again, before reluctantly getting out of bed, putting on my favourite 'First Pump' CD and reaching for a clean shirt and a fresh pair of jeans in my cupboard. The nice thing about waking up early on a weekend is that I get to spend more time with Eileen, even if she uses about ninety percent of it to gush about how her relationship with Rigby is slowly progressing. I genuinely found it cute and entertaining to listen to though, so I honestly didn't mind in the slightest. Truthfully, I could see how they were gradually getting more comfortable with each other and the fact that Mordecai was teasing Rigby about it more than usual was a clear indicator that he knew something was up.

 _Mordecai._

I shook my head quickly, trying my best to keep any thoughts of the tall, friendly Jay out of my mind. Why was it all proving to be so difficult? Why did I still feel a deeper connection and a more intense spark with him than with Del? How could I change it? I hurriedly made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, thinking that a conversation with Eileen would help clear my head. Besides, I am happy. I have Del in my life; someone who makes me laugh genuinely, gently traces patterns on my hand as he holds it, encourages me to excel in everything I do and always keeps his promises. _I am happy_. I repeated it in my mind. I just wasn't fully convinced yet.

* * *

 **Mordecai's POV**

"Hey dude," I greeted Rigby as he trudged into the kitchen, his eyes still weighted with sleep. "Whaa? Mordecai, why are you awake?" He blinked at me with his black-rimmed eyes as if he thought I was just a figment of his imagination. "It's seven, Benson said he needed us to start work early today." I took a big gulp of my coffee after answering him. "He said he'd give me the keys for the cart so I could pick some stuff up for the park." "What stuff? Why didn't you tell me about it and why are we working on a Saturday? Man, Saturday and Sunday are meant to be our days off! What time do we even start?" Rigby muttered more incoherent questions to himself while preparing a bowl of cereal.

"Dude, I know, that's why I didn't tell you. We only start at eight anyway; I would've let you sleep in." I looked at the raccoon that was literally half my height as he shot me a cold glare with milk dribbling down his chin. "Um, Rigby, you've got a little something…" I rubbed my own chin as an indicator and saw Rigby's eyes narrow even further. "Stop talking!"

I got up, chuckling, and started walking towards the sink to wash out my mug. "Hey, do you think CJ will be able to make dinner and a movie tonight or is it too short-notice?" I asked Rigby, who groaned and made a slight gagging noise. "Look, I'm sorry-not-sorry, but I am not actually all that interested in your love life," Rigby said as he slipped his dirty bowl into my hand and looked at me expectantly. "You owe me this much for waking me up at a ridiculous hour. On a _weekend_."

I watched my roommate begrudgingly leave the kitchen, presumably on his way back to our room so he could sleep more. He was always so lazy. I took out my phone to type CJ a quick text, asking if she was busy later today. I doubted that she would be awake, but it was worth a shot.

After pressing 'send', I walked into the living room, looking for the VHS tape we rented last night. It didn't have to be returned until tomorrow afternoon, but since the situation we had with 'The Best VHS in the World', I wasn't taking any chances.

That was the weird thing about working at the park. Before this job, my life was about as regular as hearing rain in winter. After Benson hired Rigby and me, we crossed paths with so many interesting people and creatures, almost died on countless occasions and we've had so many experiences that most people would not even be able to dream of. It was never an 'ordinary day' when you worked here, and a small, secretive part of me loved not knowing what was going to happen next.

My phone beeped quickly, letting me know that I'd received a text. _I wonder if it's CJ_ , I smile to myself. I was a bit let-down when I realised it was just another spam message. I'd been receiving way too many of them lately; instead of it being an every-two-months kinda deal, they were starting to become a daily occurrence. "Man, I really need to get this phone fixed." I mumble to myself while making my way gradually upstairs and into my shared room.

I wasn't surprised to see Rigby lying in the shape of who-knows-what on his trampoline, sleeping blissfully. I look at him for a short while before pulling open the curtains. "Ugh! What the heck, man!" The raccoon's eyes immediately shoot open and he stares dully at me. "Sorry Rigby, did I interrupt the dream you were having about Eileen?" I grin as I watch my friend squirm, his cheeks growing red. "Shut up! Can't you go pick on Muscle Man or something?" He frowned at me. I laughed at his suggestion.

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to join me and CJ tonight, Eileen can come too. I thought we could have a movie night and order some pizza, you know, like old times?" "Man that's actually a cool idea; hey, we could even go to Eileen's place! She does have that awesome flat screen TV now," I contemplate this for a bit. "Sounds good, but what about Margaret? Isn't she living with Eileen now? I mean, I'll think about it but the park seems to be our best option." As soon as I finished speaking, I hear Pops calling me from his room. "Gotta go, dude. I think Pops wants some tea or something." I close the door behind me and start walking down the passage. I'll just sort out tonight's plans later on.

* * *

 **I'm not sure about the different perspectives yet, I might stop alternating or only alternate every few chapters later on but I'm going to continue with it for now.**

 **I hope you enjoyed chapter one, please leave a review letting me know what you think. Thank youu ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2 : Suspicious Behaviour

**Mordecai's POV**

"Morning, Pops!" I say as I open his door. "Why, hello there Mordecai! I was just wondering if you could quite possibly check under my bed again," I smiled kindly at the child-like man as he said this. At least once a week, for the past month or so, Pops would wake up from a nightmare. He never tells me much about them other than the fact that it's always the same nightmare and asks if I could please not mention it to the others.

It's a pretty well-known fact that the lollipop-humanoid gets scared easily, even more so than Rigby, and it bugs me that there's something spooking him out to the extent that it is. "No problem, Pops. Same dream again?" I ask as I peer under the bed. "I'm afraid so. I am rather uncertain as to what the cause may be, but it seems to be worsening. The image is just so… s-so vivid and so… a-and um…" I put my feathery palm on his quivering shoulder and looked at his crestfallen face. "It'll be okay, Pops, don't worry." I smiled at him again. "Remember, I'm always here to listen if you ever feel like spilling the beans."

"Spilling the what? I assure you, there will be spilling of beans, don't you worry. What a mess that would make!" The stick-thin man threw his arms over his excessively large cranium with a confused and rather sympathetic expression on his face. "Now if you'll please excuse me, I would like to get properly attired for the day ahead," I nodded my head quickly and left the room, Pops smiling after me. _He's just as batty as he's always been_ , I chuckled to myself.

I headed downstairs and onto the massive blue house's porch to see if anyone was early for our morning staff briefing. Why am I awake so early anyway? I checked my phone for any texts from CJ or Benson. Nothing. As soon as a sigh escaped my beak, I saw Muscle Man and Hi Fives approach with what appeared to be the remnants of their morning meal still in their hands.

"Hey bro, you know who _else_ likes hot-dogs for breakfast?" Muscle Man looked expectantly and overly cheerfully at Hi Fives before hurriedly finishing his signature joke by blurting out: "My mom!" They both started laughing ecstatically and proceeded to hi-five each other. "Good one, man! Hey Mordecai," I looked up when the little ghost said my name. "Hey guys," I greeted them both before continuing to stare longingly at my screen. _C'mon, CJ, wake up_.

Even if CJ was busy tonight, I could still do something with Rigby and Eileen. I didn't have to spend every waking hour with CJ, and it was okay if she was busy. I sent the text too last-minute, I mean what the heck, maybe she wasn't even awake yet and … _Oh crap, I'm_ _over-thinking_ _everything again._ I laughed at my unnecessary nervousness, earning me a weird look from my greasy co-worker, Muscle Man. Before he could open his mouth to comment, Skips, Rigby and Benson arrived.

"Alright everyone, I'm going to do a quick roll call," Benson said as he skimmed the stairs for missing staff members. "Skips, Muscle Man and Hi Five Ghost, Mordecai and Rigby. Great, it seems the only person missing is Pops," The red gumball machine seemed impressed with the overall turnout, and even mustered a small smile in my general direction. "Right, I guess I can start giving you guys' instructions, I'm sure Pops already knows today's agenda. So, as you should have read in the e-mail I sent out to you all, the park is in need of some basic maintenance. I discussed the situation with Mr Maellard and we've decided to-" "I am terribly sorry for being late, Benson. I got a tad preoccupied, and I didn't mean to interrupt you." I looked away from Benson to see a rather tired-looking Pops smiling apologetically at us all before taking a seat on the stairs like the rest of us.

"That's okay, Pops. Now, as I was saying, we've decided to…" Benson carried on talking but I couldn't take my eyes off of Pops. His eyes were sunken in, had they been that way this morning? He seemed less energetic than usual, and his eyes weren't as lit-up as usual. Although he was smiling, something was obviously up, and I had a feeling that his wacko dreams might have something to do with it.

* * *

 **Margaret's POV**

I was sitting at the kitchen table with my empty, pale yellow mug in front of me; listening to Eileen talking about Rigby. "He even sent me a message this morning, I think we might be hanging out with Mordecai and CJ tonight. Isn't it exciting?" She looked at me expectantly, almost ready to jump out of her seat. "I mean, not to be weird or anything, we hang out all the time, but still. I have a good feeling about it, Margaret!" I grinned at my rather enthusiastic friend. "It sounds great, Eileen. I'm happy for you guys! Did he mention what movie you guys would be watching?" I asked, attempting to participate in the conversation.

"Oh, he said Mordecai would handle it. Rigby was actually thinking about having the movie night here, but I'm not sure what they've decided yet. I also don't want to keep you up or distract you from writing those research reports, so I think we'll just have it at the park." Eileen smiled at me jubilantly. "Awesome! You guys wouldn't be a bother though, so if they wanna have it here then go for it! I'll just turn up my music. Besides, it might be nice to see Mordecai and Rigby again. It's been a while, and I want to try be on friendlier terms with CJ. I won't hang out with you guys, but I don't mind greeting. If all else fails then I could spend the night at Del's house or go visit my parents." I was eager to let Eileen know that she could make plans and spend time with other people if she wanted to. Just because we were living together didn't mean we couldn't have our own separate lives.

"Really? You'd be cool with that? Thank you!" The short mole was beaming at me as she exclaimed this. "Yeah, no problem," I smiled back at her. Truthfully, I was also hoping that seeing Mordecai would help give me closure and overall just get him off of my mind. I hadn't had a real conversation with him for ages, and I'd had so many incidents with CJ that meant he didn't even feel comfortable hugging me anymore. I still wonder how long it took him to get over the breakup. Maybe he was also going through this and the closure would do us both good.

"Ah, shoot! It's already twenty to nine! I've gotta get ready, I'll see you later Eileen!" I stood up and rushed out of the kitchen. I was going to an interview straight after breakfast with Del, so I probably needed to wear something more formal and interview-ready than a shirt and jeans. I climbed the stairs, thinking of outfit ideas. My regular work clothes seemed too formal, so I settled for a basic sundress and threw on a necklace. The last time I'd worn it was when I was on a date with Mordecai, and it brought up a lot of memories. _Mordecai._ I need to stop thinking about him and get him out of my head!

I ran back down the stairs, grabbed my bag and was out the front door. "Remember, if you forgot your keys or need a spare, there's a set under the ceramic turtle in the front garden! Enjoy your date and good luck!" Eileen called after me. "Got it, thank you!" I replied, closing the door behind me. I jumped into my rust-red car and made my way in the general direction of the café I was meeting Del at. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **I know it's a bit boring right now, I have a few plots unfolding soonish though. :-) I think I like writing from Mordecai's perspective more, but that's also because nothing's really happening in Margaret's yet (Stuff will happen, there is a game plan).**

 **Thank you for the positive feedback and I hope you guys liked the second chapter. The story line will start developing more in the next chapter hopefully. ^^**


	3. Chapter 3 : Truth be Told

**Margaret's POV**

I walked through the glass doors and looked around. It was a beautiful little breakfast cafe, with various shades of blue paint on the walls. Little potted plants hung from the ceiling and sported the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. There were circular glass and metal tables spread across the wooden floor with neatly folded white napkins and small vases with a single flower in each situated at every table.

"Margaret, over here!" I saw Del wave his hand in the air, flashing me a broad smile. "You look beautiful, are you ready for your interview later today?" I grinned at him from the opposite end of the table. "You remembered about my interview?" I asked, although I already knew the response I would receive. "Of course! And I'm sure you'll nail it," Del said, taking a hold of my hand. "Hey, I already ordered us some drinks, is that okay?" He flicked his strawberry-blonde hair out of his eyes and smiled warmly at me again. I laughed before responding, "Yeah, sounds great! Thank you. How's the research for your next report coming along? I haven't even started mine!"

We talked for about five minutes before the drinks arrived and we could order our meals. The conversation topics were pretty standard, ranging from work agendas to plans with friends and family. "You still haven't met my family, my mom is dying to meet you," Del explained. "I've told her so many great things about you, Margaret. We should actually consider planning a dinner outing with our parents, so they can meet each other and everything. I mean, I haven't even shaken your dad's hand before, it would be great!" He beamed at me after telling me his plan, eager to hear my thoughts on it.

"Sounds great, Del. But if you're really expecting to shake hands with my dad, don't get your hopes up. Only one of the guys I've dated managed to shake hands with him, and that was after saving his life," I sighed at the memory of the traumatic day and smiled, remembering Mordecai's eagerness. "You should tell me that story some time, I'd love to hear it." Del laughed. Just then, our food started to arrive, and conversation died down a bit when we started eating. As usual, Del was eating a salad because he 'didn't pollute his body with refined sugar' and generally had worries about what they put into food at restaurants. Salads were probably his safest bet, in that regard.

He noticed me eyeing his salad, "You know, Margaret, there really are a lot of advantages that come with eating a raw plant-based diet." Del smiled up at me before listing a couple of points. That was the only thing I didn't always like about Del; the fact that he was still trying to convince me to go on the same health-craze as him. I'll admit, I tried it once for about a week before I forgot I was on it and ate a bar of chocolate. I just agreed with his points as he listed them, trying to finish up my meal and get ready to leave for my interview.

"Let me pay the bill today?" I suggested, after asking our waitress for the check. Del's eyes widened at the very thought. "Don't be ridiculous, I invited you out so breakfast was on me today." I shook my head while checking the receipt. "Come on, you paid for it last time; at least split it then?" He looked at me for a while, thinking this through before reluctantly agreeing. "Alright, but only because you insist and I know that you'll feel bad if I said no." Del chuckled while pulling out his wallet. I smiled back, paying my half and leaving a nice tip.

"Thanks for breakfast this morning," I said, kissing Del on the cheek before picking up my things and getting ready to leave. "No problem, and good luck with the interview! I know I already said it but I mean it, and you're going to be absolutely amazing," He gave me a quick hug before I shuffled out of the restaurant, my confidence restored.

* * *

 **Mordecai's POV**

"Dude, did you see Pops this morning?" Rigby questioned as I drove us to the nearest hardware store. "Yeah, dude, I think something's up with him. He doesn't look like he's been sleeping properly," I responded. I didn't want to tell Rigby about Pops' nightmares when I knew so little about them myself, but there had to be something we could do to help.

"Maybe we should ask him about it, it could be stress-related. Heheheh, we might even get to go back to that place with the giant bell again. Imagine Pops using some of his wrestling moves on _his_ stress! Dude it would be sick!""Um, Rigby, I somehow don't think that's the problem. Besides, don't you need to defeat it with weapons? Because, you know - ugh never mind. Why are we even talking about this?" I inquired, raising one of my eyebrows to further express my confusion. "I don't know," the marsupial responded.

"Here's a parking spot." I murmured, pulling the cart into an empty space. "Now, what's on the list Benson gave us?" I looked over at Rigby, seeing his eyes widen slowly. "Dude, don't tell me you forgot to bring the list. Man, Benson is going to kill us!" I threw my hands in the air. Rigby watched me for a short while before pulling out the most crumpled piece of paper I'd ever seen. "Hahaa, gotcha!" I looked at my little friend for a while before addressing him and snatching the list away from him. "You idiot."

My eyes briefly scanned over the list. _A new hose pipe, washing-up liquid, white paint, sand paper_. The list went on. "Okay, here's what we're going to do," I said, tearing the list in half. "You can go fetch these things and I'll take care of these. We should finish faster that way." "That's stupid, it would take longer for us if we did it that way." The raccoon glared at me. "Coming from the one who doesn't have a high school diploma, that's rich." I shot back, before we went our separate ways in the store. "Stupid Mordecai with his stupid high school diploma and his stupid driving license," I heard Rigby mutter to himself as he walked through the store, looking for the items on his list.

I searched the aisles and managed to find everything on the list within ten minutes. Rigby was standing by the cashiers, staring at brochures and the large variety of sweets they had on display. "Rigby, did you get everything?" I asked. "Wha? Oh the list! I couldn't find these five things," he pointed to his list, which only had five words scribbled on it. "Dude! I passed all of these in the store already, this place isn't even that big. Come on," I pulled him by the arm, heading back towards the many aisles I had just paced between. "See, I told you it would go faster with teamwork." The raccoon stared up at me, arms crossed and eyes squinted, making our signature "Hmhmhmhm" sound. I decided not to comment, adding stuff to our shopping trolley and walking towards the cashiers.

"That'll be a total of $79.50," I handed the money that Benson had trusted me with over to the woman behind the till, accepted my change and started making my way back to the cart with Rigby trailing behind me. "I don't know why you're mad at me, Mordecai. Just because I'm right," I ignored Rigby's challenges and decided to talk about tonight's plans again.

"Have you asked Eileen about tonight yet?" "Oh yeah, she said we can totally go to her place. Margaret has to write some reports so she can't actually hang out with us even if she wanted to." "Rigby, why did you ask Eileen if we could do it there? I thought we were going to watch movies in the park house, like we used to?" I asked, a little bit upset. "Come on, please? Her TV is so much better than ours, it would be great! And she already said yes so I don't know what the problem is." I sighed before agreeing. "You're right, I'm just a bit nervous about seeing Margaret again, and CJ seeing Margaret again. But I know I'm just overreacting, and I'm sorry for getting mad earlier." I meant it when I said it, the whole day I was being snappy with Rigby and although I would never admit it to him, I felt a little bad.

We pulled the cart into the garage back at the park and took the shopping bags through to the kitchen where Pops was sitting. "Good morning, Mordecai and Rigby." "Hey Pops, aren't you going to feed your songbirds today? I thought they usually visited you around this time." Rigby looked a little worriedly over at Pops while saying this. "Oh, yes, you are quite right. They do usually come to see me about this hour." Pops looked at his hands, his head drooping. "I just don't want to go outside right now." I put my hand on Pops' small shoulder, as I had this morning, and gave it a squeeze.

"Remember, Pops, if there's anything you want us to do or if anything's bothering you, everyone here at the park will be willing to help you." I looked at Pops' tired face as I said this, hoping he would take the invitation and confide in us. "Do those weird dreams you've been having have anything to do with your mood?" I knew Pops didn't want me talking about his nightmares in front of other people, but I didn't know how else I could get him to talk to me about it or maybe even mention it to Benson.

"Whoa, what dreams?" Rigby was immediately interested in the conversation topic once more. I looked over at Pops who sighed. "I suppose I should confide in the two of you, perhaps you could even help me in my plight." Pops thought out loud. "A good place to start would be letting us know what's up, and maybe cleaning out all the stuff from underneath your bed." I suggested, smiling at the old man. "Wait what? What's up with his bed? Can someone please fill me in already?" Rigby asked, growing annoyed. "Man, why am I never included in important things like this?" he grumbled to himself.

* * *

 **Sorry for not updating in a while! Ahh well in the next chapter one of the plots will be revealed, and I hope you guys are enjoying it so far.**

 **Thanks again for the positive reviews and I hope you guys have a great weekend ^^**


	4. Chapter 4 : The Bringer of Terror

**Mordecai's POV**

We walked up the stairs, and entered Pops' room. "Okay, let's start by hearing about your dreams." I said to Pops, sitting on the floor next to Rigby. "Oh alright... They begun not so long ago, I've been dreaming about the same occurrence for the previous two moons." I looked at Pops quizzically before asking: "The past two months? You mean that you went for a full month before telling me about them?" Pops looked at the floor. "You see, Mordecai, they were not that bad in the first three weeks. I was doing perfectly fine but..." Rigby looked up as Pops trailed off. "But what? And why is it the first time I'm hearing about all this?"Rigby interjected. "Shh, Rigby! Let's listen to Pops."

The humanoid took a deep and tired breath before continuing. "I was doing perfectly fine but then he started getting closer. He was... too close. Too close to me, I mean, and..." His small frame began to tremble with fear. "Who is he?" Rigby asked, before adding: "'Cause you know, Pops, we'll take care of anyone who's messing with you, hands down." Pops shook his head. "The problem is that the two of you have already defeated him." I thought back for a while. We'd fought off so many people and creatures since working at the park, there was no way to remember which one he was referring to.

"Who?" Rigby and I said in unison. The most unexpected answer fell from Pops' lips. "...Percy," "What, that weird creepy little doll that liked to draw on peoples' faces?" Rigby raised his eyebrow. "He was destroyed in the furnace, there's no way he's back. Besides, you weren't even scared of him! Didn't you throw him into the furnace yourself?" I looked over at Rigby during his explanation. Everything he mentioned was correct. And why would some random doll be bothering him when it happened so long ago? The raccoon and I looked over at Pops, hoping for confirmation or further information.

"He says he wants revenge! Percy won't rest until he has had it, and I am uncertain of what he may have planned. In the dreams, he gets closer to me each half of a fortnight. At first he was outside, but now he is under the bed with his dreaded marker, whispering ugly words and threats. I can't take it anymore! I don't know where he's going to be next!" Pops' eyes were wide as he said this, his usual cloak of calm control and childlike joy had slipped away to reveal a jittery, almost maddening side of him. I glanced at Rigby again before speaking.

"Hey, Pops, it's going to be oka-" "No it's not! He is under the bed! He can hear you!" Pops burst into tears, something we'd only seen him do once or twice before. "Mordecai, Rigby! What is going on up there?" I heard Benson ascending the staircase and opening the door. "What the? Pops? Are you okay?" Benson rushed over to Pops with a worried expression. "What the hell did you two slackers do this time? Get back to work!" I saw Benson slowly turn red, his tired eyes narrowing at us while still expressing worry for Pops.

"No, listen, Benson, we didn't do-" "I SAID GET BACK TO WORK NOW OR YOU'RE FIRED!" The gumball machine threatened us as Rigby and I quickly scuttled out and closed the door behind us. "Dude, we need to tell Benson what's going on and we need to help Pops." I said, turning to my best friend. "You bet, but do you really think looking under his bed is going to help? The old man's literally going nuts! There's no way Percy can be back, we threw him back into the furnace after he'd jumped out, remember?" I let out an exasperated sigh as Rigby spoke. "Yes, Rigby, I remember, and you're probably right but we need to try. Maybe there's something else under his bed that could be causing it?" I queried. It seemed unlikely, but it was still a possibility."Let's go talk to Skips, he always knows what to do," The little marsupial piqued, while rubbing his eyes. "Sounds like a plan." I replied, smiling at Rigby.

We ran over to the garage that doubled as Skips' home and knocked thunderously on his door. "What? Who the- Oh, it's just you guys." The overly-buff yeti answered the door with a curious look plastered onto his face. "Skips! We're so glad you're here!" Rigby said, attempting to hug the immortal's leg. "Yeah, yeah, I've finished my chores for the morning so I'm on break. What do you guys need my help with?" I loved how Skips just knew we needed help, it said something about the friendship he shared with Rigby and me.

"Well, you see, Pops has been having these wacky dreams about that creepy doll that got destroyed in the furnace a long time ago - you know, the one with the marker and two hundred and fifty different sayings that all had to do with drawing on peoples' faces?" I blurted out, pausing to see if Skips knew what I was referring to. Confusion flashed across his face until memory sparked in his eyes. "Oh! That Percy doll?" Skips questioned. "Yeah!" Rigby pitched in, nodding his head. "Mordecai thinks there might be something else causing the dreams, but Pops is super freaked out. It's like he's going crazy or something." I nodded as Rigby said this.

"Huh... Well, I could always find out for you; just give me a couple of days to get to the bottom of it. Percy wouldn't be the source of his nightmares though, and I've hidden dream catchers throughout the house so whatever it is has the ability to penetrate their protective barriers. It's targeting Pops, and seems to have the ability to warp and twist his dreams into something more vivid and has a tighter grasp on his mentality." I stared at Skips as he said all this. I'd always known he was wise but it had never occurred to me just how wise he was until now.

"Woah, Skips, are you saying this thing is supernatural? And how do you know it isn't Percy?" Rigby was shaking as he asked these questions. I could tell he was scared, especially because our room was so near to Pops' bedroom. "Look, I just know it isn't Percy. But something makes me think that whatever it is was somehow relevant to Percy... Say, does Pops own any other Victorian dolls from the same collection that he may be storing in his room...?"

* * *

 **Okay, I know this chapter is a lot shorter than usual and there was no POV swap, but I figured that Mordecai's POV was already very long on it's own and a lot of stuff did happen so ...**

 **Anyway! I think you guys kind of know where I'm going with this, and I'll try update tomorrow again to make up for the shorter chapter.**

 **Thanks again for your support, everyone! =(^.^)=**


	5. Chapter 5 : Gary and Introducing Pearl

**Margaret's POV**

I was sitting on a plush leather armchair, eagerly waiting for my name to be called. The room was quite fancy, and everyone around me wore suits and other formal business attire. This was definitely a step up from being the General News Reporter for channel eight. _Dang it, I should've worn my work clothes or suit._ Just then, a short, slim woman with grey hair twisted into a tight bun stepped into the elaborate and modern room. "Margaret Smith?" she called. "Oh, yes?" I got up and smoothed out my dress, holding my clipboard and notes under my arm. "The boss is free to see you now," She smiled at me and proceeded to walk down a narrow passage, looking over her shoulder every now and again to make sure I was following her.

We stopped in front of two futuristic mirrored doors. "This is where I leave you. Knock three times and await further orders, Margaret. Good luck," The woman smiled once more before turning on her heel and leaving me. _Knock three times? Is that like their standard procedure or something? We never had anything like that back at the radio station._ I thought to myself. I took a deep breath and quickly scanned my notes again before raising my feathered hand and knocking thrice tentatively on the doors, worried about breaking them or damaging them in any way.

"Come in," A deep, somewhat familiar voice called. I pushed the doors open and to my utmost surprise, saw Del sitting with 'the boss' behind a large mahogany desk in the center of the back wall. "Del?" I tilted my head to the side, clearly confused as to what my boyfriend was doing at my interview. 'The boss', on the other hand, was a thin, pale and rather shriveled man that appeared to have literal stars in his eyes and an out-of-fashion blonde mullet. Unlike all the other workers who were dressed in suits, he wore a baby-blue leotard-type-thing with a rather sad-looking cape that was way too small for him and a pair of under-the-knee white boots.

"Hello there, red and female version of Mordecai." an unexpectedly posh voice came from this strange, willowy figure. "Y-you know ... m-m-Mordecai?" I stuttered. "Speak only when spoken to." The man gave me a slight frown. "I am Gareth; known to most as Gary _but to you as Gareth_ , and I am in control of all Channel Eight radio stations across America, among many other things." I stared at the man as he spoke, his eyes leaving me starstruck. Literally, because he had actual stars instead of eyes. I saw Del watching the exchange with a slight smirk playing at his lips.

"Let us begin with the interview. Tell me, Margaret is it?" He looked from his notes to me, awaiting confirmation. "Yes," I nodded, trying to be professional whilst wondering where I knew him from. "Very well, Margaret. Why are you applying for this position and where did you hear about it?" Gareth looked bored as he scanned through the rest of the questions, but I tried my best not to let it affect me. "I heard about the position from a fellow co-worker," I glanced over at Del who smiled warmly at me, "And I am interested in this position because I see it as a chance to try new things and really push myself out of my comfort zone. I feel as though I have many strengths and few weaknesses, and this is a good opportunity to brush up on both." I continued for another thirty seconds, leaving out the main reason why I wanted this position, which was the major payment increase.

Gareth seemed uninterested in my answers and proceeded with the questions. We spoke for about fifteen minutes before the familiar stranger sighed and told me he'd heard enough. "Look, kid, you're hired. You've got the brains, the looks and the emotive language. I look forward to having you on the team," My eyes widened as he said this. Had it really been that simple? The outer-worldly gymnast (I assumed) extended his hand to seal the deal. "Thank you, Gareth! I won't let you down," I grinned, seeing Del giving me thumbs-up signals in the background. "To you, I am now Gary. And I should hope not or else I'd be very disappointed in you. Now, be gone. Del, show her around the place." Gary sat back down in his chair and spun around so that I was out of sight. I stood up and followed Del out of the room.

"What was that about? Why were you allowed to be there?" The questions exited my beak as soon as the mirror-doors shut behind us. "Woah, calm down Margaret. I'm Gary's best employee, he lets me sit in on most interviews. I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you. Come on, let me show you the place!" Del beamed at me, obviously proud that I'd been accepted and promoted. I thought the promotion progress would take place over a series of days, it was a surprise to literally leave everything one day and start up at a new office the next. Despite my nerves, I was really happy. Maybe my love life was a bit messed up right now but at least my job was fixed.

Del. Mordecai. CJ. Eileen. Rigby. All the truths and lies I'd told them were stashed away in my memory, waiting for the chance to be unveiled. How could I tell Mordecai the truth about Del and me if I knew CJ would hate me for it? I'd tried my best with Del. Was our little rouse over? Had it ended long ago and resulted in true feelings on his part? If I told Eileen what was going on she'd come up with a good solution but I didn't want to lie to Mordecai anymore. If Rigby found out about the whole situation then there's no way he'd let me near him or Mordecai ever again. My thoughts were eating me alive, and I knew I had to come clean eventually, I just didn't know when I should or how I could.

* * *

 **Mordecai's POV**

"Alright, let's see what we have here..." I stuck my blue, feathery hands underneath Pops' bed. Skips hadn't come with us to investigate, instead he'd chosen to try get some more research done and was making constant phone calls and trips to the library. "Jeez, Pops' has more things under his bed than I thought. There's no way a creepy doll could be hiding under there, there isn't any space for it!" Rigby thought out loud as I unearthed more items from under the mammoth bed.

So far we'd found two boxes of brand new shoes, a spare top hat, a jar full of pennies (surprisingly not lollipops), more of Pops' novels on "How to be Fancy" and an encyclopedia of silverware. "I wonder if Pops even knows about half of this stuff," I said, my voice sounding muffled from underneath the bed. "I doubt it, he probably wouldn't notice if a couple of these pennies went missing either..." "Rigby! Focus, dude!" I interrupted him sternly. "Alright, alright, I was just joking; calm down Mordecry." I knew the marsupial was only teasing me, but I wasn't in the mood right now. I wanted to sort this out, get rid of the problem and still make time to hang out with CJ tonight.

"Hey man, I think I found something!" I said, pulling out a black box covered with white lace and a soft pink calligraphy that read "Pearl" on the lid of it. "That thing is straight-up creepy already, I say we don't open it." Rigby crossed his arms as he said this. I knew he was getting scared. "Come on, we'll be fine. Besides, what would we do otherwise?" I asked him sarcastically; only to hear his response: "Give it to Skips, maybe?" I rolled my eyes at his cowardice and decided to open the box.

Inside it lay another cherub-like Victorian-style doll with long raven black hair, a dead straight fringe, huge red-toned brown eyes and a slight smile pulling at her thin, deep red lips. Pearl's skin was even paler than Percy's, and she wore a white nightgown. "U-u-um, m-m-Mordecai..." I looked up at my little friend just in time to see his eyelids flutter and witness his body falling lifelessly to the floor. He'd fainted.

I decided to use this opportunity to scrutinize Pearl. "This thing looks like it belongs in a fricking mental institute or something," I muttered to myself. She was more or less the same size as Percy, and seemed to be have been made by the same person. I turned the creepy doll over in my hands, looking for a name or label to help me identify it. _Nothing._ I sighed to myself, just as Pops walked into the room. "Mordecai, Rigby; I just wanted to apologize to you both for my earlier state of mind, it was just the - Pearl!" Pops lunged forward and grabbed Pearl out of my hands. "Oh, isn't she just beautiful?" He stroked her long hair as he asked me this. _How could he not see how creepy she was?_

"Hahah, yeah, um, actually, Pops; I think she might be the cause of your dreams." I said. "What are you trying to say? Are you telling me that Pearl isn't cool either?" The old man's eyes narrowed, his teeth appeared almost visually sharper as he snarled at me. "Leave Pearl alone! You already destroyed my precious Percy, and if you think I'm giving you Pearl after what you've done to him then you are sorely mistaken!" Rigby woke up with a jump once Pops started yelling again, and quickly pulled me out of the room after seeing the look Pops had plastered all over his usually joyful face. This wasn't like his personality at all. He didn't even sound or look like himself anymore.

We closed the door behind us and heard him whispering things to the doll, speaking about betrayal, hurt and even revenge. "Man, Skips was totally right about that thing; we need to do something about it before Pops is driven completely mental!" As Rigby said this, the words I'd thought and heard came circling in my head. _This thing looks like it belongs in a fricking mental institute or something... Before Pops is driven completely mental... It's like he's going crazy or something..._ I came to a quick and final decision:

"Dude, we need to get rid of Pearl."

* * *

 **Okay, so now things are starting to happen in both perspectives. We get a glance at Margaret's secret and we find out a bit more about what's going on with Pops.**

 **Hope you guys are having a good week so far, thank you again for the positive responses! :-D**


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